ONLINE: Fill'er Up! The History and Evolution of the Gas Station in Wisconsin

For the nostalgist and the architecture geek alike, nothing says “modernization in the built environment” like a gas station. Changes in station styles follow changes in cars, travel, and American life in general. The insightful Jim Draeger, Wisconsin architectural historian, will show slides of state gas stations in this virtual talk (based on his book, co-written with Mark Speltz) from the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation.

press release: Madison Trust for Historic Preservation's four-part virtual Architectural Series is back! Tickets are on sale now. $5 | Madison Trust Members; $10 | General Public. Tickets close January 12 at 5:00 p.m.

Perhaps no building better symbolizes America's fascination with the automobile than the lowly gas station. This slide lecture explores the rich social and cultural history of the automobile age by examining changes in station types and styles as illustration of broader trends in technological innovation and consumption patterns.

Jim Draeger has a deep and abiding interest in everyday buildings and the stories behind them. As an architectural historian, who retired after 31 years at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Draeger celebrates the importance of ordinary buildings to our daily lives through his research, writing, lectures and documentaries.

With co-author, Mark Speltz, he has published with Wisconsin Historical Society Press, two award-winning books profoundly imbedded with the history of Wisconsin: The first is "Fill 'er Up: The Glory Days of Wisconsin Gas Stations." (2008). The second, "Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin's Historic Bars & Breweries." (2012)

He is also a frequent presenter on Wisconsin Public Television, which has produced companion DVDs to both books and is seen in other documentaries on resorts, supper clubs and other Wisconsin topics.

Fill ‘er up is about the days when a visit to the gas station meant service a windshield wash, a cheerful smile, and the question: "Fill 'er up?" The book traces the beginnings of gas stations as unremarkable buildings in the early age of cars and their evolution as more remarkable buildings: castles, cottages and teepees, Art Deco and Streamline Moderne, clad with wood, stucco, or even porcelain.